The War for the Rebirth of the Crystal
by FFFuries
Summary: The Gaurdians of all realms come together to help piece together the heroes of prophecy. The wars to save their planets were only preperation for the coming darkness. Massive Final Fantasy Cross over fic. VII, VIII, IX, X, Tactics
1. Prologue

Just letting a little of information be known. This is going to be a major cross over fic. Spanning five different Final Fantasy games. I'm trying to use each games story in the most up to date timeline of that story. This is my first fan fic on here. Here's the real beotch of this. I thought up the idea for this story about 2 days ago. What I originally thought about doing as the villain I have already changed. So I don't know exactly where I'm going with this. I do have a general idea. If you happen to read this thank you, also if you have any ideas about where you think this should go, please feel free to write it down on my reviews and I'll let you know what I think of it. More than likely I won't have the same view point but if I like it I'll run with it. Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all that has to do with Final Fantasy. At all. I might add characters later but I doubt it.

_Prologue_

"_I am old……….far older than one should be allowed to live._

_I've fought in countless battles, in thousands of wars to "save the planet"._

_In many, my side has won…….. In few, I have watched existence fade away. I have encumbered many injuries, died numerous times, and struck down innumerable foes. I have seen heroes rise to take stands against tyranny, some greater than others. And I have seen evil that makes the darkness in the pits of many a hell seem as bright as a supernova. However, none of the darkness that this universe has seen shall equal that of what is to come…._

…_.soon, ever so soon...._

_Ixion,_ _Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc……I have had many a name and form. The one I am most fond of and have had the longest is that of Ramuh, guardian of lightning and keeper of knowledge. _

_Keeper of knowledge…..…a dubious title indeed. It is why I, more than most, know of the coming darkness. No longer shall the war be fought for the planet, but for that of all existence. For it is my responsibility to see and know the sign, to interpret the prophecies. I know what is to come. _

_And for the first time........, I am frightened._

_However, there is yet hope. For all the power darkness holds, it has yet to grasp that which it has no understanding of. And in that understanding lies salvation for existence. _

_The time is now….the heroes of yore shall be tapped……….. My brothers and sisters shall meet at 'the beginning' to make plans. _

'_Bellum de resurrectio de crystallus' ……….May we succeed…… or all else is naught_


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter one_

…beep….beep…beep…"CRASH!!!"

A pinwheel flew above his head to take out the disturbance of his restful sleep. He chuckled despite his bodies efforts to remain in bed and sleep away his pains. For all of her good qualities, a morning person she was not.

"Well, at least you didn't cast a fire spell and almost burn down the dormitories like last time."

Next thing he knew he was face first on the floor with Angelo licking his face. Ha, such was the life when you're engaged to a sorceress.

One year and two months ago, Squall Leonhart had saved the planet with this very same sorceress by his side. Luckily, he thought, Rinoa's generally in a good mood with me. Otherwise I might have been the one to fade into existence.

He walked to the shower and let the water wash over him as he thought of all the things that had happened since that epic battle. He had stayed on as the Commander of Balamb Garden. For even though he and Laguna had come to respect one another, even grown close, the Garden was the only home he truly knew and felt comfortable with. He handled all of the happenings within the Garden while Cid and Xu took care of all financial matters.

Rinoa, had of course, stayed with him after the whole affair. They had gotten engaged and were to be wed in 6 months. She had been given an honorary Seed title and stayed on teaching magic to the younger cadets due to her unique circumstances.

Zell had stayed on as the fitness instructor, teaching martial arts to the upper class seeds. He also headed up the hot dog eating club and was as energetic as ever.

Irvine had stayed on as a mediator between Balamb and Galbadia Garden. He was working on the possibility of creating a single garden due to the utter loss of life between all three of the gardens in the sorceress wars. The only problem was the fact that Galbadia was so stuck in tradition and pride that even though they knew that they were in the wrong and were at fault in the war, they were just not prepared to give in to the idea that they would be headed over by a Seed from Balamb garden as surely as they would be due to Squalls almost Godlike status from the people. But they would not relent. They even went so far as to make Irvine go to a neutral location for their meetings even though both gardens were clearly mobile.

Selphie, though currently with Irvine for the meetings, had of course taken on the role as head of the garden committee. She was also special events coordinator and the new transfer liaison for all the refugees from Trabia Garden.

Quistis had gone back to being an instructor at the Garden. She also headed up the historical committee which catalogued all the events that transpired during the war. It also entailed researching other phenomenon's throughout history that might serve as warning signs for other catastrophic dangers.

Ellone had headed back to Esthar to stay with Laguna. She had wanted to stay with Squall and the others, but she felt like Laguna needed her there so that they could help rebuild the country of Esthar after all of the damagethat it had taken during the Lunar Cry.

All in all everyone was doing fine. Even Seifer had come around, though not entirely. He had been used by Ultimecia. She had exploited his dreams and used them against him. To the point where he didn't even have total access to his own body at times. It was as if his entire being had been used. The only thing that helped him reform, was his kinship with Raijin and Fujin, and his sheer will. That iron determination is what kept him going….. to reassemble that part of his being that made him the man that he is today. Squall felt admiration for the man. Even though Seifer had been his enemy for so long, he just couldn't help but feel a kinship for the only other to master of the gun blade art.

It was he whom Squall was on his way to meet that morning. It was their daily routine. 6 -8 in the morning before duties started, gun blade training.

He smirked to himself thinking of what underhanded trick Seifer might throw at him today. Though Seifer might have reformed his being, his personality never let him fight straight up. What fun was there in it?

After he was done showering, squall walked out of the quad and headed out of the garden towards the cliff facing the Sea. They never trained in the arena, for their duels were always full tilt. Never hold back, as if each moment is the last…… The Gunblade specialists mantra. It wasn't that they didn't want to train there, the training grounds couldn't withstand the sheer force of their duels.

Seifer was already there waiting for Squall as he walked up.

"Nice of you to join me, for a second there I thought maybe Zell wasn't the only Chicken-weuss at Garden."

"Hmph, shall we find out?" he replied. And those were all the words that were exchanged. For as soon as the last word escaped his mouth, a fireball had leapt from Seifers hand towards Squall.

Without a second thought, Squall parried it with Lionheart. In the same motion he spun 360 degrees and swiped the blade from low to high sensing his opponents strike meeting Hyperion just above his right shoulder. "Damn. I forgot I've tried that before." "You have" he replied.

From there the fighting intensified. Seifer was ever on the offensive. He worked through all his techniques without thought. As if they were permanently ingrained in his mind. _Slash, parry high, sweep low, parry left, strike thrust……Damn too slow…back to low guard…thrust to absetzen, deflect back to mid guard…..dammit again….disengage to long guard…..f-ing Squall, never an opening with him…screw it, blitzkrieg high thrust…._. again and again he advanced. A display of swordsmanship as beautiful as it was deadly. Ever flowing, ever moving. Always on the offensive. Strike, strike again. Never letting up

If Seifers attacks and short parries were considered a symphony, than Squalls was a masterpiece in the making. As graceful and lithe as needed, as powerful and precise at call. Never using too much, yet never too little. No matter how many attacks were thrown his way, he always had an answer. _High guard to defensive, defensive to mid guard, quick switch to meisterhau, flow into vertical thrust, parry to spinning backhand, flow from back hand to thrust high_, _leap away, search for the mistake_…..

Squall leaped away into a flip so that he could land in his high guard position. Seifer took the advantage of the interval while squall was in the air to blitz rush where squall would land. Anticipating the move, Squall inverted his bodies natural motion so that he could deflect the blow coming for his left side while balling up his fist to strike Seifer who would be unprepared. Seeing the spin Seifer jutted out to the right to redirect his course and the striking point of his attack. As he closed in and swiped the space where Squalls head was only a moment before, he found squall barrel rolling under the attack. Seifer, flowing with the motion of the blade, spun 180 degrees from his position to face Squall. _Ok, let's try something else._

Never slowing down, never letting up. The two went at it for up to an hour. "_Hmph. Seifers gotten better. Don't tell him that or he'll never let you live it down." _Parry to mid upwards thrust. "_Mistake."_ And that was all Squall needed. In less than an instance he went into renzokuken knowing that the fight was over. Seifer had made the mistake three moves ago. He was Squalls now. _Slash, thrust, slash, parry, slash pull the trig……"_**Heed the call."**_ What!?! Focus. _**"The call is answered. The time is neigh." **At that exact moment Squall felt a wrenching from his body and was immediately weaker and fell in the middle of his renzokuken. _"What the hell was that." _He looked up knowing Seifer would take advantage and win the duel. When he noticed him lying face down panting much the same as Squall.

"What just happened?" he asked. :"……I don't know. I was in the process of knowing id just lost to your sorry #$ when I felt a pull and heard a voice. Next thing I know I was as weak as an infant looking at you in the same position as me on the ground." Squall sat and thought about what the portents of this could mean. "….What did the voice say." "Something about answering the phone or something." Squall furrowed his brow. "Wait, ….. heed the call?" He looked at Squall funny "How the hell…" "I heard it too."

Squall looked around and tried to give meaning to the event. He picked up his gun blade and was about to cast a cure spell on himself when he realized he had none. He had no spells at all for that matter. He also felt much weaker than before. "…..!!Bahamut!?" Seifer looked at Squall. "What? What happened?" "Bahamut is gone. He is no longer junctioned to me. But…!… I didn't terminate the junction…….." Seifer looked at him, blankly for the moment. Then realization dawned upon him, "Ifrit is gone as well."

Squall looked skyward trying to fathom the ominous portents of the event. This was turning out to be a wonderful morning.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Looking out over the vast expanse of the Universe he sits and ponders. Here, at the beginning of existence, has he stood contemplating the mysteries of the universe, overseeing different worlds, and preparing for countless generations, for the coming storm.

_Has it really been so long……I wonder……sometimes, lately, an eternity hasn't seemed like such a long time…….._

"Stop brooding Ramuh, else your beard will clot up from all the dust on the floor."

Ramuh chuckled despite himself, "Sometimes Gilgamesh, I feel as though you might be the only one who can make light of situations like these." He turned to look the hooded man in the eyes. For all his physical prowess, swordsmanship, and lethality with weapons, the Guardian was as humorous as he was dangerous. "Sometimes a well placed joke can harden the most cowardice of hearts." "Ha", said Ramuh. "Well placed…, this coming from the man who still loses the dimensional intervals he sets up on planets." "HAHAHA! I didn't expect Odin to fall so fast on that world."

At this statement Ramuh's face darkened. "Yes, we didn't expect many things to come about so fast on that world…….." Gilgamesh walked up slowly behind him. "So it's true then. 'the true lion claims his throne as the false lions destroy theirs.' Thus the final crystals begin to shatter and the Lucavi return. The Final War begins. 'Bellum de resurectio de crystallus'."

He looked Ramuh in his eyes. As long as he'd been in existence, never had he seen him look so worn, so old, so downcast as to not even banter with his fellow guardian. Of all the others, only Ramuh had had a sense of humor and wit enough that Gilgamesh could appreciate. He was the only one besides Odin he felt any kinship for. For if Odin was considered as a younger brother, than Ramuh he considered as a father like figure.

_Hmph, leave it to Gilgamesh to determine the reason for the call before I let it be known. He never fails to impress me. _"Indeed it has old friend. My attempts went for naught on that world. Though they were able to thwart them in the war for their planet, I'm afraid they were able to gain back enough of their former power and gain enough followers there to break their chains of bondage. Their crystals have begun to shatter do to their use in the war…..Prophecy has come to pass."

"When shall the others arrive." "Soon Gil. The call was made and responded to. They shall all be here within the hour."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

An hour later the 12 Guardians of Eden came together. Their hadn't been a meeting of the 12 greater guardians in many eons. Only when their need was great did they meet, if ever. The room that they met in was no room at all really. All around one could see the cosmos. Planets, stars, moons, asteroids, black holes……everything that make up the galaxy could be seen. There really was no floor yet there was something upon which the guardians walked. Whether or not it was something substantial or just one of the guardians powers, Ramuh never reasoned out.

They sat together at a round table showing no deference of power to any in particular, though all knew who was in charge. Ramuh sat next to his fellow elemental guardians. Shiva, queen of ice and of passion to his left, Ifrit Guardian of flame and power to his right. It was they, of course, whom he noticed first. The others that sat at the table were as followed: Brothers, guardian of earth and creator of planets. Leviathan, guardian of sea and wind. Carbuncle, guardian of magic. Odin, guardian protectorate. Gilgamesh, guardian of war. Alexander the Holy guardian, Diabolos, guardian of death. Pheonix, guardian of life. And last and head of the greats, Bahamut, king of Dragons and wisdom.

Bahamut stood up in his human form to address the others. "I beg your forgiveness in advance for, due to the dire circumstances, my short openings. So let this meeting begin. Greetings my fellow Guardians. Long has it been since the twelve of us have convened here by way of summons. Our brother Ramuh has issued the summons, so let him come forth and let us know the circumstances."

Ramuh stood from his seat. All eyes were upon him except Gilgamesh's, who stared at the table lost in thought. "My brothers and sisters, throughout countless ages we have fought. The same war has raged on countless worlds with the portents being the same. We know why the wars have been fought, and the reason why we let the worlds come so close to destruction. For without these wars, never would the destined few be prepared for what is to come. It is sad to know that we let such destruction come about when it was well within or power to prevent their tragedies. But it is an evil born of necessity…….for the time of prophecy has come…….the war is upon us." The room erupted with voices. All trying to be heard yet none knowing what truly to say. "SILENCE!!!", Bahamut's authority quieted the voices. "All questions shall be heard but one at a time."

"How did we let this happen?" Shiva spoke up. "To a degree, I am at fault. Though many of your presences were there and you fought, none but I gave enough of myself to the world to see what was going on. Too many of us were concerned and overly protective of 'The Lion'." Ramuh stated.

At that comment eruption broke out again and again all were silenced by Bahamut. "I have said once before and I shall say it again. None shall speak out of turn lest you feel my wrath. Ramuh has a very good point. When have that many of us serviced themselves to a cause. There were more Gaurdians on that planet than there has been for any war. Also, when have we ever had such **influence** on a world. All of us were intrigued by the notion that we actually could fight and interface with our warriors. Some, such as the lesser Guardians Tonberry, Cerberus, Doomtrain, and some of us greaters including you Odin, Gilgamesh, Ifrit, Diabolos and even myself, were allowed to roam freely without the necessity of even being summoned. The idea enthralled many of us and may have set the stage for this event….. Now please, Ramuh, continue."

"Thank you Bahamut. As I was saying, such was our influence on that world that those that partook on Ivalice were only manifestations answering the call, giving our service, yet not involving ourselves with the happenings on the planet. We fought, yet none knew why we fought for that planet. In essence, the fact that we have fought in so many wars to save the planet, that we have somewhat 'called in' our duties on a majority of planets. We distanced ourselves from the cause that these people partook in and fought so dearly for. I am just as guilty as all. Yet because so many of us were impassioned by the idea of being of service to 'The Lion' of prophecy and the freedom of the world with which we had so much power in, I decided to 'call in' my services there, gave my apparition Quetzalcoatl deference, and became active in the struggle on Ivalice."

"While on Ivalice, I took account of the war that was taking place there. At first, it seemed like a simple civil war feud between two rival candidates for the throne. It wasn't until I took note of who was partaking in the war and the name of the war that I became concerned. Prince Goltana the Black Lion…..Prince Larg the White Lion……..it came to be called the Lion War….." All in the room shuddered at the portents of what was said. For all of them have read the prophecies to an extent, and all knew what was being told.

"My thoughts went through a flurry of activity over the coming days. The hero that I allied myself with was one Ramza Boulve, the youngest son of a noble family. He like so many heroes before him took all in stride and followed his path true. Yet the further along our adventure we went the more dire the circumstances became. You see the Kingdoms were greatly influenced by the Murond Glabados Church. Their central figure head, whose sacrifice in death spearheaded the religion, was, ha, St. Ajora." "Gods….." Leviathan let slip. "After I heard the name I influenced Ramza to dig deeper into their story. I figured maybe it was just happenstance. However, it was then that I started to hear of the "Zodiac Brave" story and the 12 Zodiac "stones" of power. Hurriedly we followed up on the story. We then met a man named Mustadio who was in possession of one of the stones. I knew as soon as I looked upon it that it was one of the final 12 crystals that broke apart from the 'Crystal' in order to contain the Lucavi. Unfortunately, I did not have enough influence on the world to even communicate with Ramza of their portent. We continued on in order to seek guidance from a Cardinal Draclau. Upon receiving the stone, he activated and released the demon. It was then that Draclau transformed into…Quecklain." Immediately Diabolos snarled. "We fought and defeated him. We also encountered others along the way to fight Ajora in the end. Velius, Zalera, Adramelk, Hashmalum, Elidibs, and of course Ajora who was Altima."

" Their influence was so great there that I even had to tap some from the prophecy to aid in their struggles. 'The Wanderer' Cloud Strife, and 'the holy swordsman' Cidolfas Orlandu" "HA, what irony" Gilgamesh interrupted.

After Gilgamesh apologized for the disturbance, Ramuh paused and continued. "helped defeat them all. Yet in the end, even in victory……I knew our true defeat. These were only their contained forms we defeated, held in check by the crystals that contained them. Too many had been released. They started to shatter. At the end of the actual war, the final part of the main line of prophecy came to pass. You see neither Larg nor Goltana took the throne. The one to take the throne was the commoner best friend of Ramza who betrayed him in the first place, Delita Hyral. Hence forth the last part of the main line came to pass while you all helped the beginning come to fruition. 'The true lion shall take his throne while the false lions destroy there's.'


End file.
